battle/hq module update

[Thorgrim]

BUG:
In Online Banking, the new feature in the HQ. You can temporarily increase your budget to an astronomical amount even without matching the stated rank requirements (green, novice), allowing you to purchase jocks and titans (though weight class is still restricted by rank).
How to reproduce:
 
Select one squad
Go to Online Banking
R-click to leave OB without doing anything
Everything is fine
Go to Titan Factory Database
R-click to leave without doing anything
Go to Online Banking again
R-click to leave OB without doing anything
Check your budget, should be something like a gazillion
 
Buy lots of stuff
Go to Online Banking again
Budget will be negative, but you already have the stuff
 
 
As a side note, I'm not sure Online Banking is an appropriate name for this (or the application itself). If this was about a mercenary unit or an arena stable (à la Solaris 7), it'd make sense. As a standard military unit, resorting to credit... hmm.  [;)]  At least not at this level in hierarchy.

[LarkinVB]

Ok, I think I found the problem. Fixed with titans122b.zip

[Gargantou]

Larkin, would you reckon it'd be possible for me to do an external program, perhaps in JAVA for maximum cross-platform compatability, that interfaces with ToS saves and provides a dynamic campaign layer?

I'm by no means an expert coder(My last experience was coding an AI in BASIC under MS-DOS heh), but I've been pondering trying to pick up a  coding language again and this could be a fun test and I'd be contributing to the ToS community.

Basically I was thinking of doing an external app that has a universe with dynamic diplomacy etc, and the program would 'generate' battles from planet types etc, then you'd have to set up such a battle in ToS and play it through, and the program would read the results of the battle from the program and update the 'conflict' accordingly?

Also, perhaps to simplify combat a bit, I could make it so that if you do poor in a mission, the entire nation/company etc you're working for does poor in combat elsewhere, hence giving the player more of a feeling of actually contributing to the war etc.

I know all this sounds very ambitious but eh, I gotta start somewhere.

[LarkinVB]

Of course this is possible. Start and code all the stuff apart from interfacing with TOS. If you get that far, I'm sure we can work out the interface details. Seriously.

[gazra]

LarkinVB, this "battle/hq module update" thread belongs in the sticky 'Topic' section above in this forum because it is important and it is more difficult to notice than it should be. Could you please either transfer this thread to the 'Topic' section or create a new thread in the 'Topic' section called something like 'Version 1.2.2 update'?

Also, I apologize for ruining this thread by posting my posts in this thread (where they don't belong!). Are you able to create a new thread called 'suggestions for changes to game' and transfer all of my posts that are currently in this thread (as well as all of the subsequent replies to my posts) to that new thread (where they belong)?

[LarkinVB]

I can't, I don't have mod powers here.

[LarkinVB]

It is now stickied at top of forum.

[Goblin]

w00t!

[Aensland]

ORIGINAL: Gargantou

Basically I was thinking of doing an external app that has a universe with dynamic diplomacy etc, and the program would 'generate' battles from planet types etc, then you'd have to set up such a battle in ToS and play it through, and the program would read the results of the battle from the program and update the 'conflict' accordingly?

Also, perhaps to simplify combat a bit, I could make it so that if you do poor in a mission, the entire nation/company etc you're working for does poor in combat elsewhere, hence giving the player more of a feeling of actually contributing to the war etc.

I know all this sounds very ambitious but eh, I gotta start somewhere.

Awesome [X(]

I'm not much of a programmer myself (mostly a VB/PHP/MySQL grunt, there now you know my dirty secret, lol), but I've played oodles of rpgs and tbs games. If you need a sounding board, bug tester, or just someone to yell at in general, count me in!

[Temple]

Wow, TOS being updated! I haven't visited this forum in a while and hadn't noticed. Thanks very much to LarkinVB and everyone who is contributing. I still play this game occasionally, but it's been a few months. Very cool [8D]

[Ghstbear]

I used to be heavily into the Battletech universe.  They often used the term Gamemaster.  This was the person who ran the story line.  What people like, I think is for the computer to be the gamemaster.

A friend and I have been using a simple Excel based setup to create a campaign using Tos.  We are working on our second time.  I really think it adds a good element to the game.  On a campaign battlefield you will rarely be evenly matched.  If you run, then you must be able to run faster than the enemy.  Also, the bigger titans will be cumbersome for some things, such as finding bases, or gathering information.  The smaller titans can get creamed easier.

We have been not allowing repairs until one reaches base.  Also, the computer lets us know if we spot the enemy, and then a battle ensues.  A person can design their own base, but can only pick the board in a normal battle if they win a defensive roll.  It's been fun.

[Iskandar]

Ok, I hate you. [:'(]

Now I have to reinstall this thing and play again.  Why did you do that? 
(I kid, of course.)

This is truly a classic game.  My only real complaint isn't something you could fix anyway.  It is just a bit too much sandbox-y.  A campaign mode that tied all three modules together a bit tighter is the only thing I really miss.  The game is open ended to the point you can fake it, making up your own campaigns, though, which I do for my AARs, so not a major complaint.

It really is too bad that there will never be a sequel. 

Oh well, I  still come back and play for a few weeks every 6 months or so.

Hm, perhaps it is time for another AAR?

[LarkinVB]

This is truly a classic game.

To be honest, I share this view. [8D]

Me and my buddies are playing it again, hotseat with shared squad against AI.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: Iskandar

It really is too bad that there will never be a sequel. 

You probably mean: another sequel

[Iskandar]

Oh, and I think there might be a bug with your beta patch, Larkin.  When there are no enemies to lock on, isn't the lock on thingie in the attack menu  supposed to turn yellow?

Or do I misremember that?

[Ghstbear]

Would you be interested in the Excel file? I am really not a programmer, but I have tinkered with Excel a lot over the years. In order to get it to work you have to take the one file and split it so that both players have half of the tabs. I don't know how it would work for network players, because we have only used one computer while playing, and we plugged in flash drives with each of our half of the original file on them. Then we would make our modifications on our own and sink up when we meet. In Excel there is a feature for manual calculation; we have used this as a dice roll.

This is a rather primitive way of doing things, but it works for me. It might not work for you. If you are interested please let me know.

[Iskandar]

I am interested, at least.

[LarkinVB]

ORIGINAL: Iskandar

Oh, and I think there might be a bug with your beta patch, Larkin.  When there are no enemies to lock on, isn't the lock on thingie in the attack menu  supposed to turn yellow?

You are right. Bug was introduced with new link handling. Will be fixed with next update. It's not game breaking.

[LarkinVB]

Reuploaded v1.2.2n with fix. 

[Ghstbear]

Iskander,
It seems I can't send it straight to you.
Before I post it I wanted LarkinVB's permission. I do admire what he's done here, and I don't want to be adding things to the game if he doesn't like the idea.
LarkinVB, please let me know.